Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-09-03

tured him we'll knew that his people would
move heaven and earth for his release.
Well, days and weeks went by, and
though the country was secured for the
missing man, no trace of him was discoy-
cred, or was likely to be so long as a penny
could be gained by his retention. His
family spent thousands of dollars in the
vain search, and in repeatedly depositing
large sums Of money for his ransom, as in
dicated by mysterious placards, until they
were completely impoverished; and then.
moved by the tears OF his distracted young
wife and the prayers of his aged mother,
the Government offered considerable
amount for his restoration. But still no
Cervantes appeared.
At last, by the merest accident. he was
discovered in the heart of the populous
city, and within stones throw of his own
dwelling, under the floor of deserted
house, laid flat upon his back in place
barely wide enough to hold him, gagged,
bound hand and foot, and several we'll
sharpened daggers thrust within hairs
breadth of his body, so that if he stirred
they would pierce him. Having remained
long in this terrible condition he was barely
alive when found, and il was only after
weeks OF careful nursing, during which
time he lay SPECIFICS, and his life hung
by thread, that he was able to tell of his
adventures; and, meantime, of course, the
mlscre;nts had ample opportunity to es-
cape.
1t seems that, late one evening, he was
standing in his own door, when suddenly a
serape was thrown over his head by some
unknown persons and drawn 50 tightly as
to prevent any cutlery then he was hustled
into carriage and driven rapidly very
long distance, as he supposed Doubtless
the rapid drive, returning to nearly the
same point from whence they started, was
intended for blind" and he never mis-
trusted himself so near home. The faces
OF his captors he never saw, for they were
closely masked, and visited him only at
night by the dim light of lanterns.
HAVING GAGGED AND BOUND HIM,
They first talked of taking down a portion
of the wall and bricking him up, leaving
loose place where a brick or two could be
removed when it was necessary to feed
him; but, fortunately for him, they de-
cided upon the floor rs less troublesome to
themselves.
Tearing up plank and laying him I'M
der it, he was found TO be too corpulent,
despite all their crowding, to allow the
board to fit in place again, so little earth
was scratched away to accommodate him
with living sepulcher. A few small
holes, bored above his face, admitted suffi-
cient air TO keep him in existence, and
there he remained for weeks helpless,
voiceless, entomhed alive within sight and
sound of home, while his friends were ran
sacking the world for him!
Every night his captors came, removed
the plank and hauled him up, and with
the point of dagger at his throat removed
the gag and gave him food, and then
walked him up and down the room awhile
for exercise BY and by he grew 50 weak
as to he incapable of outcry or resistance,
and then his keepers forced stimulants
down his throat and dragged him about
for needed exercise, desiring to keep the
breath of life in him as long as money
might be forthcoming Finally, believing
him about dead and that all resources for
torture to the misery Of his last hours by
assuring him that his friends had refused
to pay anything for his ransom, and crowd
ing him under the plank again. They
left him to die at leisure.
1t happened that very night that
heavy storm came up, and a beggar en-
tered the deserted dwelling for shelter,
by chance seating himself upon the board
under which Cervantes lay. Hearing a
faint moaning, apparently proceeding
from the lower regions, the fellow was
frightened nearly to death, believing that
1t came from some unjust ghost, or soul
tormented in purgatory; and with teeth
chattering in his head he ran straightway
to the nearest priest. Strangely enough,
in this lazy country, where superstitious
fancies are of common occurrence, search
was instituted, and what remained of poor
Cervantes was rescued-not an hour too
soon. 4 few months later
RICH OLD MAN DISAPPEARED
In much the same manner Search was
instituted and diligently kept up for
long time, but not the slightest trace of
him was found. The usual placards, de-
manding money for his ransom, were posted
again and again, sometimes accompanied
by the most piteous appeals purporting to
| come from the victim himself; but though
the family were anxious to give any
| amount for his release, they were not per-
mitted to do so, the Government having de-
termined TO put stop to the kidnapping
business, which could only be done by de-
stroying the incentive. Long afterwards,
through the confession of a dying raachero
to the priest, the fate of the old man was
disclosed. For several months his alb
duetors had kept him gagged and bound,
hidden in a deep, dry well, Every night
they hauled him up, fed him enough to
sustain life, and tortured him in every dia-
bolical manner they could conceive with
out making an end of him, in order to
make him devise some means by which
they could wiring money from his friends.
As time wore on and no money came,
their fiendish rage knew no bounds, and
they delighted in tormenting him to the
utmost limit of human endurance They
burned his flesh with heated irons, tore the
nails from his fingers and toes, dug out his
eyes, pulled his tongue with pinchers and
finally tortured him to death.
The dying rancheros story was SUBJ
Stimulated by searching the spot indicated
in vacant field near the Niga canal, a
few miles from the city of Mexico; and in
the bottom of the long-disused and forgot
ten well was found the poor old skeleton
E.NNrr Y lVADn